Adam Sandler says he avoided SNL for a year after his departure

Adam Sandler says he could not bring himself to watch Saturday Night Live for a year after leaving the NBC sketch comedy series, describing the separation as heartbreaking and difficult to process.

The comedian, who was part of SNL from 1990 to 1995, shared that the transition away from the show left him feeling like the game had moved on without him.

During a recent Vanity Fair awards season conversation with Timothée Chalamet, he said, 

“When I left the show, the first year, I couldn’t watch it. I couldn’t watch it — it just breaks your heart. I guess it’s like when you play sports or whatever, and all of a sudden, you leave, and you see the game keeps going. You go, ‘Oh, they didn’t need me, man.’ It breaks your heart a little bit.”

Sandler reflects on the legacy of Saturday Night Live

Sandler joined Saturday Night Live as a writer before becoming a cast member known for original characters and musical comedy.

His years on the show included work alongside Chris Farley, Chris Rock, David Spade and other cast members who went on to define 1990s comedy.

He left right when the team was changing - something he once called unexpected and tough to handle.

His latest remarks show how much the show shaped who he is. Quitting SNL wasn't simply switching jobs - it meant saying goodbye to people who felt like family.

Sandler said working on the live format meant operating in a constant blend of panic and exhilaration. 

“You’re having the best time of your life, and you’re also panicked out of your mind.” 

Sandler also looked back at how the rules of performing on Saturday Night Live have evolved.

He recalled a time when the show discouraged actors from breaking character, contrasting it with the current era in which corpsing — cracking up during a sketch — has become part of the fun for both audience and cast.

“Oh, back then, he didn’t like that, yeah,” Sandler said of Lorne Michaels. He noted how Chris Farley often tried to make him laugh. 

“You weren’t supposed to break. I think the first cast — Dan Aykroyd, [John] Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda [Radnor] — they never broke; they kind of frowned upon it. The first cast on SNL was like, ‘We’re not The Carol Burnett Show. We take this serious. If you laugh, you’re out.’ It was kind of a rule, and somehow that rule got broken. And now everyone’s laughing all the time.”

Despite the changes, Sandler insisted the show still feels familiar. He said Saturday Night Live has “always been the same,” describing a sense of unity among those who perform on it.

“It’s like being on a team,” he explained. “It’s like you guys got this weird little connection the rest of your life, it’s cool.”

A career beyond the SNL stage

After leaving SNL, Sandler launched a film career that brought him major commercial success with movies including Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, and The Waterboy.

He got praise after starring in movies like Uncut Gems and Hustle. Still, he stayed linked to the series somehow. By 2019, he came back to lead SNL, bringing old roles back to life.

That hosting appearance earned him an Emmy nomination and included an emotional tribute to Chris Farley, cementing how the relationships formed in Studio 8H continued to shape his life and career.

Sandler has also made cameo appearances in recent years, including during SNL’s 50th anniversary special.

His involvement showed that although he wanted space from the series before, years went by, and he slowly fixed the pain keeping him away.

Stay tuned for more updates.